Missing fishermen produced in courts, normalcy restored in Vadamaradchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 August 2005, 09:27 GMT]Mr.Arthur Tveiten, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee, on receipt of information his counterparts in Jaffna, met with the Sri Lanka Navy officials in Trincomalee regarding the release of the two fishermen in the custody of Sri Lanka Navy. The two persons were produced in Trincomalee Magistrate's Court Thursday morning by the Trincomalee Harbour Police. Magistrate Mr.S.Ramakamalan ordered the release of these two fishermen. The Magistrate further instructed the prison authorities to keep those fishermen in protective custody until September 1 till their relatives in Vadamaradchi arrive and take charge of them, legal sources said.

Trincomalee SLMM officials have now informed the Vadamaradchchi fisheries society President Mr.Suriyakumaran and the relatives about the release of the two fishermen and requested them to come to Trincomalee with necessary documents to take charge of them, SLMM sources said.

The SLN officials in their report had stated that one of their naval crafts on its way to Trincomalee spotted these fishermen in a boat which was drifting about fifty nautical miles off from the northern shore and picked up them and brought to eastern naval headquarters, legal sources said.

Mr.Michaelpillai Regian and Mr.Sathyaseelan, two fishermen of Manatkadu in Vadamaradchchi division in Jaffna district who were earlier reported missing in northern sea while fishing and later found to be in the custody of the Sri Lanka Navy and kept in detention in Trincomalee naval yard.